Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Jetting back to the Fort

Yes, the return of Brownie Points is coming. When last I was in Fort Myers five days ago, it was a slow camp. It was by the far the slowest Spring Training in my eight years on the Red Sox beat. And then I left and all you know what broke loose.

Lugo, surgery. Pedroia, injured, and out of the World Baseball Classic. Jon Lester, signed for five years. Jason Bay, no contract extension this spring. Josh Bard, out of a job. Kevin Youkilis, now out of the World Baseball Classic.

Wow. Quite literally, there was NOTHING going on when last I left Fort Myers. Now we have an official Red Sox Spring Training in full motion.

I land in Fort Myers after 11 tonight. Back in to blog and story mode tomorrow.

Later,

Ian.

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23 Comments

have a safe flight ian …..Anyone wants to join our yahoo fantasy league we currently have 10 plrs and would like to have 16 by next thurs the 26th,,,,the draft will be that night at 8pm…or so pending on how many ppl are able to be present…email me at itwasntme7777@yahoo.com if you wish to join….judge

Ian, Didi you see how we kept up while you were gone?? We didnt quite make our challenge of 500 posts, but we got pretty close. Hope you have a safe flight, and I will warn you: NOTHING BUT RAIN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS!!!! We are inundated over here at the “other Fort” (Lauderdale)…. God Speed…

Life is good. Ian is back and Bard is gone. I never understood why Bard was brought back by Theo and the Red Sox. We all saw Bard attempt’s back in April of 2006. Awful would be a word too describe it.

Obviously the Red Sox catcher of the future is still not a member of the Red Sox, not yet anyway. I am concernced about Varitek and who isn’t? So far he has shown nothing! I’ll be patient with Varitek though. He deserves it.

Lugo or no Lugo, does it matter? I was hoping for Lugo too have a good season, it still might happen, we shall see. I assume Nick Green will take his spot. Green has earned it, he has been very good in the month of March.

Ellen,

Sorry to inform you, sun and more sun over in the St.Pete/Tampa area. HA..HA….LOL!!

Did I miss something? I believe I just read where the Brewers picked up a “Wes Littleton.” Is that the guy who was with the Sox? If so, when did they release him? With Josh Bard, I guess we are at the point where “heads will start to roll.”

I do like the way the “boys” are starting to shape up. Obviously, I will feel better when DP is back on the field showing no effects from his oblique strain.

Given the comments going around about Daniel Bard, it doesn’t seem like you folks see him starting the season with the Sox. If Littleton is not going to make the team as a reliever, Bard has to be close to a position in the bullpen, especially if (and I know its a big IF) JustinM goes into the starting rotation and Penny starts the year on the DL.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Also, despite what Ian said in response to my Tazawa question, he has been throwing shelled peas, and has to be creating decisional difficulties for the FO in sending him to the minors to start the year.

I gotta tell you, its nice to see your team have this abundance of pitching, even though it really isn’t close to the team I have watched for most of the past 49 years. You Go, THEO!!!

Did I miss something? I believe I just read where the Brewers picked up a “Wes Littleton.” Is that the guy who was with the Sox? If so, when did they release him? With Josh Bard, I guess we are at the point where “heads will start to roll.”

I do like the way the “boys” are starting to shape up. Obviously, I will feel better when DP is back on the field showing no effects from his oblique strain.

Given the comments going around about Daniel Bard, it doesn’t seem like you folks see him starting the season with the Sox. If Littleton is not going to make the team as a reliever, Bard has to be close to a position in the bullpen, especially if (and I know its a big IF) JustinM goes into the starting rotation and Penny starts the year on the DL.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Also, despite what Ian said in response to my Tazawa question, he has been throwing shelled peas, and has to be creating decisional difficulties for the FO in sending him to the minors to start the year.

I gotta tell you, its nice to see your team have this abundance of pitching, even though it really isn’t close to the team I have watched for most of the past 49 years. You Go, THEO!!!

Any reliever from the Rangers is not the way too go. Usually guys that are in the pen for the Rangers, next step is playing for the Nationals, lol.

Regarding Daniel Bard, he’ll make his debut sometime during the 2009 season. When you have a camp like he has, your going too open up alot of eyes. A blazing fastball like that doesn’t stay too long in the minors.

I don’t think the Sox want too rush Tazawa, there is no reason too. The Sox have alot of depth in the pen. I’m guessing Tazawa will make the Red Sox coming out of camp in 2010. Pitching and more pitching, that is what wins championships!

David, Littleton was a longshot to make the team, even if he had a good spring. The bullpen is slated to be Papelbon, Okajima, Masterson, Saito, Ramon Ramirez, Delcarmen and Lopez. Littleton did have an exceptional season with the Rangers in 2006, but he has regressed, and this spring he has been awful. Daniel Bard and Junichi Tazawa have done better than expected in spring training. I think both could help the Red Sox at some point in 2009. Tazawa is still scheduled to open the season in Portland’s rotation to get some innings. Bard was projected to open the season in Portland’s bullpen, but he might open the season in Pawtucket’s pen. With those two, and Hunter Jones, the Sox have three major league ready relievers who are prospects. Also, Fernando Cabrera (who served as Puerto Rico’s closer in the WBC and had a solid Puerto Rico winter league showing after battling injuries the last two seasons) will be at Pawtucket and could help at the big league level. There are several better options than Littleton, thus the reason he was let go.

It is exciting to see so many promising arms in the Sox system. With Bard, Tazawa and Jones, along with last year’s first round draft picks out of college (Stephen Fife, Bryan Price and Kyle Weiland) and guys like Richie Lentz and Adam Mills, I think enough of these guys will pan out to give the Sox a deep and mostly homegrown bullpen for years to come (combined with some of the current guys, of course).

Hey, David, I see you are still getting paid by the word, even when your posts are shorter–just post the same one 3 times! THAT’S getting your “by the word” money’s worth!! ;)
I think Jeff’s projections are pretty sound. Tazawa is a flame-thrower, and in due time, he will get his shot at making the big time. The times I saw him, he was still something of a work in progress. However, even with a good ST, I think the FO and the pitching coaches are wise not to bring him up too early, lest we have another Buchholz-type situation: sets the world on fire early (as Buch did with his no-no), and then can’t control the flames he set. (I lived in LA 5 years too long!) Tazawa will re-surface in due time, and he should do good things when he gets here–if we don’t get impatient, and rush him. He’s what–21, 22 years old? I think he’s got time.

Brian, Tek did pretty well these past couple games, and I think he’ll continue to have modest success. We do need that next-in-line catcher, and I hope he surfaces, either through trade, or through the minors (like Exposito).

David, Jeff is right on Littleton–there was very little chance he was going to make the team. I figured he might have been a trade chip, himself–acquire him, so that we could pkg. him in a second trade.

Brian, it would figure that the Rangers players would go the way of the Washington players–the Rangers were the Senators, after all!
I see that Youk is another casualty of the Wounded, Bandaged, and Cut Classic (aka, WBC). Hmmm…Get healthy, Youk!

moanin all…..we need 1 more plr for our fantasy league so if you would like to join its gonna be a blast….ask ellen shes all hyped and it hasnt started yet …rt ellen hehe…now as for my lil quip into the catching situation…pitchin and defense with team offense wins championships…its proven….if you by the oldest of best teams….defense up the middle is the most important..a catcher that will give you great defense,call a game and give you power at a ypung age is worth a #2 starter….im sorry but buch is never gonna be a A #2 starter…i think hes got alot of potential but if hes a #2 starter then i think it might be in washington….or 5 yrs from now…sox are extremely wealthy at pitcher now…and now tx is willing to deal one of 3 catchers….i think they want to keep tea and ramirez …i dont think theo wants salty…and that prob why the deal isnt done…wait for teagarden theo…if they wont part with em…then weather the storm….judge

Judge, I AM hyped about the Fantasy League. This is going to be an ABSOLUTE BLAST!!! I was looking forward to having the draft tonight but I can wait until next week.
So the Sox receive back from the WBC yet ANOTHER injury!!
There is just something so wrong about the timing of this “thing”. I hope that the Sox are not affected long term by this. and the catcher issue?? Just go out get one get it DONE!

to be honest ellen i was psyched too but last yr i drafted 3 in my top 5 picks who were on the dl by end of spring training cause our draft was so early….also we try and make the draft so all can be present without interfering with normal life….soooooo….lol….the later draft is ok with me….judge

as for anyone joinin this fantasy league….we have some spots avail…..email me at itwasntme7777@yahoo.com if u would like to play….it is very fun and u dont have to spend alot of time doing it if u dont want to…i do but i like to research alot free agents and young plrs and i work my roster daily to fit the needs of the stat categories…but u can set your roster for weeks or days at a time if u cant be avail daily…..i spend about 30 mins a night usually but thats alot…judge

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